Question

the chemicals dtt and beta - mercaptoethanol break disulfide bonds. a single polypeptide chain exposed to either one of these chemicals would potentially have changes in which level of protein structure? select all options that apply. primary structure secondary structure quaternary structure tertiary structure incorrect primary structure utilizes peptide bonds and refers to the order and sequence of amino acids.

Explanation:

Protein primary structure is determined by peptide - bonds and amino - acid sequence, unaffected by DTT and beta - mercaptoethanol which break disulfide bonds. Secondary structure is due to hydrogen bonds and not directly affected by these chemicals. Quaternary structure involves interactions between multiple polypeptide chains, but here we have a single polypeptide chain. Tertiary structure of a single polypeptide chain is stabilized in part by disulfide bonds, so breaking them with DTT or beta - mercaptoethanol can change tertiary structure.

Answer:

D. tertiary structure